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G. S. MAXWELL. ELECTRIC RAILWAY SIGNAL.

Patented Dec. 18, 1883 MIT. fl

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GEORGE S. MAXWELL, OF LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY, ASSIGNOR OF. ONE-HALF TO CHARLES KNIGHT'GARON, OF SAME PLACE.

ELECTRIC RAILWAY-SIGNAL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No, 290,338, dated December 18, 1883.

Application filed September 13, 1883. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, GEORGE SEYMOUR MAX- WELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Louisville, in the county of Jefferson and State of Kentucky, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Railway- Signals; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to that class of electric railway-signalsused upon railroads divided into sections or blocks to communicate intelligence between local agents and the operators of trains in motion. f

The objects of my invention are, first, to warn a moving train when another train or any portion thereof is either moving or standing on the next section; second, to enable trackmen to give a similar warning to approaching trains when the track is not safe to pass'over, or when they themselves would be endangered by the unexpected approach of a train; third, to provide two waysfor giving said warning,

so that in case one device fails to operate the other maydo the service desired, thus doubling the guard against accident; fourth, to accomplish these objects with a comparatively light expenditure of force; and, fifth, to lessen the chances of accidentally grounding the current through the rails.

To this end my invention consists, first, in means for applying two separate currents-the one a battery-current, and the other an induced electro-magnetic current to operate a semaphore or other signal; second, in means for inducing the magnetic current by the action of passing trains; third, in means whereby a moving train, a stationary train, a handcar, or even a crow-bar extending from rail to rail may complete the circuitof one current, thereby operatingthe signal; fourth, in means whereby a broad signal may be changed by a slight angle of motion; and, fifth, in means to lessen the chances of accidentally grounding the current through the rails, as hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view, part in secway-track. Fig. 3 is a plan view of a portion 5 5 of a railway, showing the principle of the op- I eration of my combined devices for operating a semaphore or signal; and Fig. 4 is a side elevation of a portion of my signal.

' A, B, and 0 represent electro-magnets constructed as shown in the section A, in which u is a core, of soft iron, occupying one-half of a helix, 1;. The armature consists of a cross-bar,

N, provided with two studs, w, of soft iron,

projecting into the aperture of the remaining 6 5 half of each helix, to oscillate freely therein. By this construction I think that the studs w, acting somewhat like pistons, being at all times within the range of magnetic attraction, will be deflected through a larger angle, thus giv- 7o ing more leverage and requiring less force to operate the signal. To further facilitate this operation, I provide a signal consisting of a series of spiral vanes, Q, like those of a windmill or like those of an ocean-steamer-screw, mounted on a rock-shaft, L, which is journaled in bearings of the main frame X, to act in conjunction with a series of similar blades, Q, which are stationarily supported on the main frame. To this end the main shaft L is provided with a screw-thread, 'U, engaging a stud, V, fixed in a cross-bar of the main frame to act as a nut upon which the screw advances and recedes, moving the shaft longitudinally in its act of rotation. The vanes Q rest behind the fixed blades Q in their normal position; but when shaft L is advanced, said vanes Q screw out in front of the blades Q. Thus, the fixed blades may show a complete circle of one color; then the vanes, advancing between 0 and ahead of them, show a complete circle of another color. By a little adaptation a variety of single or mixed colors may be similarly shown to convey difierent ideas.

vanes to their normal position. The magnets 10o A are permanently connected in one direction with a battery, B, Fig. 3, by means of a wire, f, and in the other direction with one rail, z, of the track by wire f. The other rail, i, is wholly insulated from rail 6, but it has a permanent ground-connection, j. Each rail 01" the track is insulated at each end of the guarded section from its own continuous line of the adjacent section, as at i, but its individual rails are in continuous contact with each other throughout each separate section. \Vhenever the two rails t 1; are connected by a conductor of electricity the circuit is completed, a current established working armatures N, and the danger-signal is shown. The circuit is thus completed by the wheels and axles of every train which comes onto the section, and the current will flow, holding the signal set as long as the train or any pair of wheels thereof remains on the section. \Vhen the train passes off the section the circuit is broken, and the danger-signal is concealed. A hand-car on a section produces the same effect, and if trackmen in repairing the road have made it in any way dangerous, or if they would be in danger from the unexpected approach of a train they have only to lay a crowbar from rail to rail to complete the -circuit and set the danger-signal. By my plan of holding permanent connection with only one rail, that rail only has to be insulated. Thus I very much lessen the liability of accidental ground-connections that would set the signal wrong and waste the battery.

The signaling device thus far described is complete in itself, and requires no further adjuncts for perfect operation. There are usually two signals on each sectionone at each end thereofboth facing away from the section along the road. Thus, when a train enters a section it sets danger-signals both in front and rear, to guard against collision with anything ahead and against being run into by anything in the rear. In order to guard against failure of the signal to operate by accident to the battery or its circuit, I provide a wholly independent device for working the same signal by induced electricity. The generator or electromotor is illustrated in Fig. 2. The location of the working-bearings of the parts being obvious, they are not shown.

I is a shaft passing through the end of the rail, or below it, and provided with vertical arms b and c at its ends. The armb stands in the path of the car-wheel flange to be rocked either way by passing trains. This rocking will be from a vertical position in the direction the train is going. If the train be going in the direction indicated by the arrow T, the arm 0 will actuate a similar arm, m, to rock the shaft J and arm n to elevate a toothed rack, G, engaging a toothed wheel, a, which is geared to revolve the magnets E, journaled to rotate in front of a permanent magnet, F, thus generating an electric current, the device being a complete electromotor.

D represents two other magnets, adapted to tion.

rotate opposite to the same permanent magnet, F, actuated by a train going in the direction S. operating through the same rock-shaft I, and another rock-shaft, K, having armsl and p, and a similar rack, G.

The generators E are connected with the magnets B by wires 9. These magnets attract an armature, O, which engages an arm, (I, on the shaft L, to set the signal. Vhen armature O is deflected to its maximum, it is caught by a hook, 6, thus retaining the signal until the train, in passing off the section, works the other generators, D. These generators are connected with other magnets, G, which attract an armature, I, on the end of which is the hook 0. By this action the hook is withdrawn, releasing armature O and permitting the signal to be withdrawn. The electric motors are repeated at the opposite end of the section, and each is provided with suitable groundconnections, the electric motors and signals at the two ends of the section being connected together, as shown in Fig. 3. The action of a train upon arms bin going either way is to operate magnets E on entering the section, and to operate magnets D on leaving the sec- To prevent friction in case the bearings of shaft L are out of line, and to permit a slight vibration of the armatures, which may occur accidentally, without setting the signals, the shaft L may he in two parts, connected together by the arms 1' and t, forming a loose clutch. By placing a wrench upon the arm I) and rocking the shaft I the proper way a few times, the track-hands may set or remove the signal.

While it is intended that either the battery or the electromotor shall be capable to operate the signal under ordinary circumstances, yet circumstances may occur when the united effort of both would be required-such as electric conditions of the elements, or the effect of rain, snow, or ice, which partially dissipate electric currents in the air or partially ground them. Then the coacting means thus differently produced would tend to aid each other, and to produce more certainty of effect than could be produced by acting alone, or even by doubling the power of either one. The fluid of the battery may be frozen and fail to act, but the electromotor cannot fail from this cause. The electromotor may be knocked out of action by a dragging brake on a train or other similar accident, but the battery need not be near enough to the track to be liable to such danger. Many other conditions might be enumerated in which the two differentlyproduced currents would each act as a safeguard against derangement of the other, and in which the two may produce the desired result with more certainty while coacting as described than would either alone.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim, and wish to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A signal having a series of fixed spiral ICC b1ades,in combination with a series of spiral F, forming an electromotor, as and for the 20 vanes upon a shaft, a screw upon the shaft corresponding to the pitch of said vanes, and a fixed stud or nut engaging said screw, as shown 5 and described.

2. Arailway-signal and armatures and magnets for operating the same, in combination with a battery for producing one electric current and mechanical means for producing an- IO other electric current, and connections, substantially as described, whereby both the battery-current and the mechanically-produced current may coact to operate the signal, or either may operate it if the other fails.

I 5 3. The rock-shaft Lhaving the arm b,adapted to be tipped by the wheels of a passing train, and the arm 0, in combination with the rockshaft J, having arms m and n. the rack G, wheel a, rotary magnets E, and fixed magnet purpose described.

4. The combination, with the electromotor having the rotary magnets E and fixed magnet F, of magnets D, the rack G, connected therewith, and the rock-shaft K, having arms 10 and 25 Z, the latter adapted to .be engaged by arm 0 of rock-shaft I, as shown and described.

5. The combination, with the signal Q, the divided shaft L, and one or more magnetic armatures to operate the same, of the loose o clutch consisting of arms 1 and t, engaging each other, as shown and described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

GEORGE S. MAXWVELL.

Witnesses:

ELIAS H. J ONES, STEPHEN D. SMITH. 

